Hero Story

Over the last year, Lisa Jahnke of Marquette has stepped up in a big way to help her community navigate the pandemic. Early on she joined the Masks for Marquette volunteer initiative to help make and distribute protective gear for medical personnel, frontline workers and school children. She is one of the coordinators of this effort and volunteered five to 10 hours weekly on the project. As a result of her effort, Masks for Marquette has provided over 45,000 pieces of protective equipment including masks, gowns, intubation guards, and every student in the Marquette Area Public Schools received one of the masks. She was also instrumental in the group receiving a grant for supplies from the Community Foundation of Marquette County.

In March, Lisa also began volunteering with the Marquette County Health Department to help residents get vaccinated. She began working phone lines to assist in registration and scheduling of appointments. She then began volunteering during the clinics, greeting residents, pushing wheelchairs, checking paperwork and helping where needed. She has served an average of 20 hours a week with the health department where she so impressed personnel, they tried to recruit her for a paid position!

Lisa also serves on the boards of Grow & Lead: Community and Youth Development and the Community Foundation of Marquette County. She serves annually with the Grant Henriksen Memorial Golf Scramble that raises funds to help make life a little easier for families who have a child battling cancer.

Lisa Jahnke has always been a hero and throughout the Pandemic her heroic efforts helped save lives.